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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Filthy Play Is The Best Play

This post brought to you by Maytag. The content and opinions expressed below are that of DadNCharge.

The explorer hunting for treasure comes to the mighty river and has to decide, is it shallow enough to traverse? Should she jump in with both feet or use a stick to measure it's depth? The bank is slippery with mud, the bugs are enormous and swarming, but the water is clear and sparkling in the afternoon sun. The glint from the shiny rocks just below the surface of the cool water catches her eye. There's treasure in there, she just knows it.

Along the bank, the willow tree sways in the breeze and it's roots exposed by erosion, drink up the water rushing by. It's in these tangled roots that the shiniest of rocks lay in the deepest part of the river. The only way to get to them is to get filthy.

Armed with her trusty Crocs and butterfly net, my brave explorer plunges into the depths and emerges with the treasure, the shiny Wissahickon schist made smooth by decades of rushing water.

Coming up from the bank she is wet and dirty covered with rocks and dirt, a fistful of treasure swinging in the pink net as carefree as her attitude about getting dirty while playing outside; the pebbles dotting her skin like a stippled pen and ink drawing. This is childhood, this is play and filthy play is the best kind of play.

The summer is a perfect time for this kind of play whether it be playing in a creek, making sandcastles on the beach or sliding into second base while playing baseball. Getting dirty means that kids are exploring and having fun. We all know that kids love to get filthy.

It's our job as parents to make sure they don't go walking around that way all the time though. Having a good washing machine and dryer can make all the difference in dealing with those moments when life gets messy.

Maytag has been a top trusted American home and commercial appliance brand for decades. That's why Maytag made the New Top Load washer and dryer pair is better built because they are designed, engineered and assembled in America and have the power to clean the filthiest of stains made by our world explorers.

Do you have a kid who exemplifies what "filthy play" is all about? Starting on August 3 and running for six weeks enter the Filthiest Plays of the Week Contest brought to you by MLB and Maytag laundry. As the official washer and dryer of MLB, Maytag is calling ball players and children of all ages to upload photos or videos of their sliding, diving, or just “filthy plays” using “#MyFilthiestPlay” on Twitter or Instagram by tagging @MLB and using #MyFilthiestPlay. You can win weekly prizes like MLB Gift Cards and a Maytag Top Load Washer and Dryer pair and may be eligible for the opportunity of a lifetime – a grand prize trip to the World Series!

Kids need to get filthy and they need to explore their world. Whether the dirt comes from a slide into home plate or the banks of a river, the end result is the same. Their filthy play means they are outside and active which is good for their well being. You'll enjoy watching them explore knowing that Maytag is right there batting clean up when you need them.